Report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry

Annex B — Summary of Torture Allegations
entered his room informing him that he was being transferred to SMC. The
reason for the transfer was not explained to him.
At SMC, his injuries were examined and X-rays taken. He stayed for one
night in a ward on the second floor of the hospital. Doctors informed him
that he needed surgery because of injuries to the nerves in his hand, but they
stated that for clinical reasons they would need to wait at least six weeks
before performing the surgery. He was then moved to the sixth floor where
he stayed for approximately four or five nights. His ward was heavily
guarded by police. He was kept in a hospital room with around five other
individuals. He was allowed very limited access to the toilet and therefore
urinated in a bag by his bedside. On one occasion, when he went to the
toilet, he was told to keep the bathroom door open and was threatened with a
weapon. The police came to his room twice per day, typically once after
20:00, by which time visitors had left, and then again later in the evening.
The police beat the detainee and the other patients in the room, but stopped
whenever a doctor came to the ward. They also verbally abused the
detainee, insulting his religious sect and calling him a “traitor to Bahrain”.
On his last night at the hospital, the detainee and the other patients in the
room were blindfolded and their wrists were tied very tightly behind their
backs. This lasted from approximately 22:00 until 04:00. The detainee was
then transferred to a police station where he was held for 24 hours. Police at
the station slightly loosened the restraints, which were very painful. He was
interrogated about his political activities and his connections with certain
individuals. He acknowledged that he had attended demonstrations but
denied belonging to any political organisations. They called him a traitor
and said he belonged to Hezbollah. The detainee was not beaten during the
interrogation. The interrogators gave him a document and he signed it
because he feared for his safety. He was then returned to a holding area
under stairs, where police kicked him and beat him in his abdomen. The
police also told two or three national guards who were present to beat the
detainees, but the national guards refused. The detainee requested pain
medication but was told that there was none available. He was subsequently
released (on 21 June 2011). He was never charged with a crime nor did he
appear before a judge.
CASE NO. 35
(Examined by the forensic team)
Date of statement: 25 August 2011
Statement: On 15 March 2011, the detainee was walking towards his car
parked in Sitra when police shot at him and several other people nearby. He
was shot and wounded in his left foot. The police then beat him with rifle
butts and he was also struck with a gun’s bayonet on his left lower leg.
When the police saw that several of his toes were hanging off (from the
gunshot wound), they left.
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